


Between Two Worlds

by mysticspectrum



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Developing Friendships, F/M, Nap buddies, Platonic Relationships, a lot of feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-09 05:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8878420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticspectrum/pseuds/mysticspectrum
Summary: When Stephanie's older sister - a gifted artist - arrives in LazyTown, she begins developing friendships with the townspeople. But, after an accidental run-in, Robbie Rotten takes a special interest in the quiet girl he can't seem to get away from as she bridges the gap between his world of sloth and Sportacus's world of activity.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to read my first LazyTown fic. I'll try to keep everyone as in-character as I can.  
> I noticed a serious lack of Robbie/OC fics, so I decided I would write one of my own. However, this isn't meant to be a romantic story -- at least, not in the normal sense.  
> Please enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Stephanie Meanswell awoke with a start and nearly leapt out of bed. Excitement was vividly visible on her bright cheeks. She began to brush her teeth, knowing that any moment her uncle would be knocking on her door. Of course, she was ready. She had been ready.

“Oh, Stephanie,” her uncle chimed from the doorway. “You’re up early.”

She shrugged. “I just couldn’t help it. I’m so excited to see Josie.”

“I am as well! I’m sure she’s going to love our little town.”

Stephanie nodded. “I’m going to go gather all my friends so they can meet her too.”

“Splendid,” said the mayor. “The stage is already set up. I'll go fetch Miss Busybody and meet you there!”

With that, Stephanie grabbed her purse and hurried out the door. She arrived at Pixel’s house to find that everyone was already there.

Hey, guys! You’ve got to come with me. Something exciting is happening today.”

 

Far below the streets of LazyTown, Robbie Rotten was stretched at an awkward angle in his fuzzy orange chair, snoozing the day away. The little blanket that barely covered him was thrown into the air as his speaker system switched on. Fanfare and chattering blared through his lair. He scrambled to standing, grumbling something about “peace and quiet” as he stormed up to his periscope.

 

Meanwhile, high in the sky above LazyTown, Sportacus grabbed the letter that had shot into his airbase.

“I’ve got mail,” he chirped before unfolding the paper.

He read it silently, a smile coming to his face. “I’d better get going!”

 

“She should be here any moment now,” Mayor Meanswell advised the group.

Sportacus flipped over the wall and into a seat next to Stephanie. “Hey, guys!”

“Hi, Sportacus!” they jeered.

“Thank you for coming,” Stephanie said to him. “I’m sure she’ll want to meet you.”

Behind them, a pair of eyes peeked over the wall.

 

“What IS all the commotion for?” Robbie growled from his lair.

 

A moment later, his question was answered. A bright yellow taxi pulled up next to the stage. The back door opened, and a young woman with boldly purple hair emerged. She was dressed in an outfit that bore a resemblance to Stephanie’s - except hers matched the rich color of her hair. In fact, she looked remarkably similar to Stephanie - with the same big brown eyes and delicate features. She rolled a purple suitcase behind her.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to present my other niece. Stephanie’s sister, Josie Meanswell!"


	2. Chapter 2

Robbie’s eyes were practically glued to his periscope, a million thoughts running through his head.

“What’s this? Another one?!”

If this Josie was anything like her sister, he had every reason to dread her arrival. He was sure she would become another obnoxiously noisy follower of Sportacus’s; she would just another reason for him to not get any rest.

Still, it was interesting to see a new person in LazyTown. Especially another adult.

The girl stood rather tall, but very clearly trying to shrink herself. She stood with her shoulders low and her hands clasped as Stephanie approached her, her wide eyes glancing swiftly and nervously around the bustling group. If he didn’t know better, he would think she was frightened.

“At least she has a decent sense of color coordination,” he mumbled, digging his fork into a slice of cake.

 

On the topside, Stephanie hugged her older sister tightly.

“Oh, I'm so glad you decided to come visit!”

Josie smiled softly, patting her back. “Me too. It's so lovely here, and I'm so excited to see you.”

Her voice was mellow and a touch airy - which matched her apparently serene personality. She jumped when Sportacus landed in front of her.

“Hello! I'm Sportacus! It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“O-oh. Hi. Nice to meet you.”

He smiled his usual pleasant smile. It was exciting to have a new person in LazyTown. Any friend of Stephanie’s would surely be a friend of his, and he couldn’t wait to get to know her.

“How long will you be staying in LazyTown?” Trixie asked her.

“I'm not sure yet,” she replied. “I’d really like to do some work here, so I'll probably be here for a while.”

“What do you do?” asked Ziggy.

“Oh, I’m an artist. I do sketches and paintings, and I sell them.”

Pixel chimed in. “Do you do digital art?”

“Sometimes,” Josie laughed.

The group chatted for a moment. The children wanted to know everything about her - how old she was, how long she had been painting, how long it took her to get to LazyTown. Their voices overlapped. Before long, sensing that she may be overwhelmed, Mayor Meanswell stepped in.

“Well then, now that everyone is acquainted… Stephanie, why don’t you show Josie around before you head home?”

“Sure thing, uncle!” Stephanie exclaimed. “Come on, Josie.”

Sportacus spoke up. “It was nice to meet you, Josie! Remember: if you need anything, I’m not far away.” He pointed to his airbase which floated gently overhead.

Josie’s eyes widened as they drifted up to the sky. “You live up there? In that?”

“I do. You're welcome to paint it if you’d like. Just let me know!” Sportacus chirped before flipping out of sight.

 

“Look at me! I’m Sportacook! I live in an airship and everyone likes me!” Robbie whined mockingly. “My lair is much nicer anyways.”

He glanced around at his current mess of an underground base and frowned.

 

“This place seems really great,” Josie sighed, her eyes wandering the town with a sparkle in them. “I can’t wait to get started.”

“LazyTown is wonderful. And, if there’s any trouble, we have Sportacus to lend a helping hand!”

“Trouble?” Josie asked. “What kind of trouble could you have here?”

“The kind usually caused by Robbie Rotten!”

Below, Robbie’s ears perked up at the sound of his name.

“What?” he wondered aloud. “Are they talking about me?”

“Who is that?”

“He lives here, too. He’s really lazy and sometimes hectic, but deep down I think he’s really just a big softie.”

Josie stopped walking. “Do I get to meet him too?”

Her younger sister laughed. “I’m sure you’ll run into him eventually.”

 

The bright chair squeaked as Robbie flopped into it.

“So, little miss purple wants to meet yours truly. Well, she’ll have to come find me because I’m staying right here!”

He folded his arms, listening to his words as they echoed off the steel walls into a heavy silence. He frowned.

“Even if I did want to meet her,” he continued. “That would require me to go all the way up there and _talk_ and be _social._ Ugh! Too much effort. No, no - I’m much better off down here.”

Silence met him again. This time, it was deafening.

“Oh, FINE! I’ll go up, say hello, tell her to leave me alone, and then that will be that!”

 

Stephanie bounced into Josie’s bedroom, admiring the purple decor. “Uncle and I worked really hard to make your room very… well, you!”

“And you did a great job,” she said warmly. “I love it.”

Josie closed her satchel as she moved towards the door.

“Where are you going?” her sister asked.

She stopped, searching frantically for a response. “Oh, just to look around.”

“Would you like me to come with you?”

“No, that’s okay,” she explained. “I’m mostly going to scout out places to paint. It’ll probably be pretty boring, but I’ll catch up with you later!”

Without missing a beat, Stephanie smiled and exclaimed “Okay, sure! Catch ya later!” before heading back to her bedroom.

With her bag over her shoulder and curiosity in her heart, Josie stepped out the door.

 

Robbie replaced the grimace on his face with an attempt at a smile, and looked at himself in the mirror.

“Hello, I’m Robbie Rotten!” he announced. “No, too loud.”

“Hello, I’m Robbie Rotten!” he exclaimed. “Ugh, too chipper.”

“Hello, I’m--”

“Hello?” A voice echoed through the lair.

Robbie froze, his eyes wide. Either he was going crazy, or someone had just spoken to him.

“Hellooo?” The voice repeated. It sounded as if it were at his door (so to speak.) It was far too close for comfort.

He peered into the entry pipe before he marched up to his viewer to see what - or, who - was disturbing him.

 

The sun was sinking a bit lower in the sky as afternoon set in. Josie leaned over the pipe’s opening, squinting into the dark tunnel. She could have sworn she had heard someone talking. The metal pressed against her stomach as she leaned in closer.

She called down the tube once more. Suddenly, she felt her foot slip off of the ladder and she screamed as she tumbled into the darkness.

It was a short but wild trip down as she bounced down the pipe before being chucked into… something soft? Josie opened her eyes, blinking at the bright orange around her. It was a chair that she landed on. Where could she be?

Behind her were footsteps. She flipped around to find a very tall, angry-looking man standing over her.

“WHAT do you think you’re doing here?!”

High in the clouds, Sportacus’s crystal flickered, but then went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Huffing with his hands balled into fists, Robbie Rotten towered over the trembling ball of purple on his chair.

“Well?”

“Oops?” Josie offered.

Robbie scoffed. “Oops is right! Who do you think you are, tumbling into my lair uninvited?”

“It was an accident. I fell.” Josie explained with earnest. She tilted her head. “You must be Robbie Rotten.”

“Oh? And what gave me away? The tremendously evil secret lair? The devilish handsomeness? The utter rage at being _disturbed?!_ ”

“And a process of elimination,” she responded, hopping over the arm of the chair to avoid him. “You're the only person in LazyTown I haven't met.”

He glared at the girl, trailing her as she began meandering around his lair. “Yes, well, now you have. Now, if you don't mind--”

“This place is beautiful!” she sighed.

He paused. “It what? Yes, of course it is. Now, could you - you know - leave?!”

Josie turned around abruptly, and Robbie nearly collided with her, but managed to stop himself.

“I’d love to paint here…”

“Well, I would love some peace and quiet, and I’m afraid that is a solo project.”

The smile on Josie’s face faltered. “Oh. I-I was just…” She blinked a few times before continuing. “You have a really nice lair, Robbie. I’m really sorry for intruding.”

As she straightened her bag and shied away, sour feeling settled in his stomach. Perhaps he had been a little too harsh. After all, she had just complimented his lair.

“Fine, fine,” he grumbled. “You can do your coloring or whatever. I'm going right over here to take a nap, so don't bother me!”

Josie smiled sweetly as she turned, opening her bag to set up her canvas. “That works for me. Thanks!”

Robbie shook his head, settling into his chair once more and tugging an eye pillow over his eyes. After a moment, he lifted one half of the pillow and peeked at her. “You're really not going to bother me?”

“I don't plan to,” she said, sharpening her sketching pencil. “Painting doesn't really require interaction.”

“Huh,” he huffed. “You know, I think I like painting.”

 

A little while later, Robbie reawakened from what was possibly the best - and most peaceful - nap he had enjoyed in a while. A few feet away, Josie sat behind her canvas, her eyes transfixed on her work. The lair was completely silent.

“You're still here.” It was both a question and a statement.

The girl’s brown eyes flicked up at him. “Oh, you're awake. Yes, I'm still here. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Surprisingly, no.”

“Good. I'm almost done. Just putting the finishing touches on.”

He clambered out of his chair, approaching her with a yawn. “Well, let’s see what you've…”

The moment his eyes met the canvas, he stopped. It was actually pretty. Very pretty. The dark colors melted together elegantly, with splashes of bright orange and purple here and there. Every pipe and every gear was in its place. She had captured every little detail, and it was beautiful.

“What do you think?” Josie beamed up at him.

“I think it’s--”

“Josie? Jooooosieeeeeee?” Another voice bounced off the walls of Robbie’s lair. He groaned.

“Oh no. I must have lost track of time!” Josie quickly gathered her tools, stuffing them into her bag. “I hope I didn't worry anyone.”

“I doubt it.”

“Oh, you know my uncle. He worries about everything.”

“W-will you come back?” he asked, wincing at his own choice of words.

“That depends,” she replied smartly, turning to him with her hands on her hips. “Am I invited?”

The villain narrowed his eyes. “Don't push your luck.”

As Josie chuckled and turned to leave, he noticed that her painting still sat on his workbench.

“What about this?” he called after her.

“Keep it,” Josie told him. “It’s your lair.”

And with that, she was gone.

 

“Jooooosieeeeeee?” Stephanie called. “Where could she be?”

Her sister peered around the corner. “Right here, Steph!”

Stephanie sighed with relief. “Oh, thank goodness! Where’ve you been? Uncle Milford was getting worried.”

Josie met her sister and they began walking together. Twilight was falling slowly into darkness.

“I was doing some painting.”

“Oh yeah? What’d you paint?”

“Robbie’s lair.”

The pink hair on Stephanie’s head whipped around as she looked at her sister. “What?”

“I sort of….stumbled into his house…”

“And he let you stay there and paint?”

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed. “He was actually quite nice.”

“Well, I'm just glad you're okay!”

The brightly-colored pair strolled home.

 

Robbie drummed his fingers on his work table, staring intently at the painting she had left behind. He hated to admit it, but he really liked it. There was only one flaw - she had depicted his chair as being empty.

He rolled his eyes, turning away.

“Why do I care, anyway?” he wondered aloud. “It’s just a little doodle.”

Suddenly, the thought entered his mind that it may not be the painting he was interested in. After all, he had just met the artist, yet he liked her far more than anyone else in LazyTown - mostly because she was quiet and didn’t disturb him, but partially because she was extremely talented.

He shook his head. This train of thought was going far off the tracks. Slumping into his chair once more, he furrowed his brow. All this thinking was exhausting.  
Whatever the case, he felt the need to see her again - and he knew exactly how to go about it.

“It’s disguise time,” he mumbled before falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The following day, Josie had her pop-up easel standing in the middle of the park. A single tree stood proudly in the grass, moving softly in the wind as she attempted to sketch it. Stephanie sat next to her, watching her sketch the tree in front of them. The day was quiet and still, and Stephanie was getting antsy. 

“How long do your paintings usually take?” the pink-haired girl asked, trying to make conversation.

“It really depends,” Josie replied, her eyes remaining stuck to her drawing. “It depends on how much detail there is in the subject.”

Stephanie nodded. Silence took over again, and she began to jiggle her leg. “Painting seems like a lot of work!”

Her sister smiled. “Well, it is. And it isn’t.”

The awkwardness fell about them once more. Stephanie stood up, bouncing her ball on the ground. 

“Hey, do you wanna take a break and shoot some hoops?”

Finally, Josie stopped what she was doing and looked at her softly. “I really can’t take a break. Otherwise, I might lose inspiration. I’d love to play once I’m finished, though!”

“Oh,” Stephanie replied. 

“Sorry if I’m boring you,” Josie continued. “Why don’t you go ahead and play, and I’ll catch up with you once I’m done?”

Stephanie shrugged glumly. “Well, okay.”

The artist smiled before returning to her work, not noticing how disappointed each bounce sounded as her sister walked away. 

 

Above LazyTown, Sportacus finished a set of pushups with an accomplished sigh. He hadn’t had to save anyone all day, which gave him more time for exercise. Certainly, he would not complain about that!

Still, he thought. He hadn’t had a single instance of trouble  _ all day _ . That was rather unusual for LazyTown.

“I wonder what everyone’s up to!” he chuckled. “Door!”

He flipped onto the platform as it opened, pulling out his trusted telescope and peeking through. In the glass, he could see Josie brushing her hands off as she completed the sketch of the tree. He nodded and moved the telescope to the right, and saw Stephanie… sitting alone in the park? Around her there were no other children. She sat with her basketball between her hands, her head down and her shoulders slumped.

Sportacus was taken aback; she seemed out of sorts. It was then that his crystal began to glow.

“I better go check it out!” Sportacus announced before bouncing back into his airship. 

 

As Josie began setting up her painting supplies, she heard a rustling sound. She looked up, and all around, but saw no movement. Shrugging, she continued, but the noise persisted. 

She frowned and looked up at the tree - only to smile when she noticed what was different. Beside the tree she had sketched stood another, slightly shorter tree. That tree, she noticed, had eyebrows.

“Robbie!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

A pair of blue eyes opened on the tree, blinking and shifting around with alarm. “Wha-- No Robbie here! Just another tree.”

Josie walked towards him, smirking. “I don’t know of any trees with eyes or eyebrows -- or any trees that talk, for that matter!”

The Robbie-tree frowned at her. “How did you recognize me?”

“It’s my job to notice the small details,” she told him. “That’s what being an artist is all about. But, don’t worry. It really was a great disguise.”

He dropped his arms - which he had been holding up like branches - and crossed them with a pout. 

The artist chuckled. “You make a great tree.”

Her comment seemed to lift his spirits. “I do, don’t I?”

She nodded. “So… what  _ are  _ you doing here?”

Robbie froze. His disguise had not gone as planned, so he was unprepared for anything else. He also did not have a real excuse as to why he had been spying on her - for lack of a better word.

“Oh, well, I uh… I was just getting some fresh air.”

“And why do you have to dress up as a tree to do that?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“So that people will  _ leaf _ me alone!” He took pride in the laugh he garnered from her. 

“Fair enough,” Josie said. “Well, I’m going to keep painting. Don’t let me disturb you.”

She began mixing a few colors on her palette. When she looked up, Robbie was still standing in the same spot.

“W-would you like me to paint you too?” she giggled.

“Well, you left me out of the other one.”

“Because you wouldn’t stop tossing and turning!”

“Whatever!” he snipped. “Trees don’t move, so you have nothing to worry about!”

Josie shook her head. “Oak-y dokey!”

Robbie rolled his eyes.

 

Sportacus landed in front of Stephanie, but she barely looked up. “Hello, Stephanie!”

“Hi, Sportacus,” she responded glumly. 

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“It certainly doesn’t look like nothing,” he said, taking a seat next to her on the bench. “Come on, what’s wrong?”

Stephanie sighed, rolling her pink basketball between her hands. “It’s my sister.”

“Josie?”

She nodded. “I thought we would have lots of fun when she got here, but all she wants to do is paint!”

“Well, that’s her job, Stephanie,” he explained. “See, that’s the thing about grown-ups. Josie’s job is painting - it’s her responsibility - so she has to do that first before she can have fun. Sort of like having to clean your room before you can go out and play!”

“But it’s so… boring!”

Sportacus shrugged. “Maybe to you. But it doesn’t seem boring to her.”

Stephanie sighed again.

“Think of it this way: if someone asked how you feel about dancing, you would say…?”

“I’d say it’s a lot of fun!”

“But if someone asked, say, Robbie Rotten how he felt about dancing, he would say…?”

“He would say…” The realization hit her. “...that it’s not fun at all.”

“You see?” he said excitedly. “People have their own opinion of what’s fun, and that’s okay!”

“You’re right,” Stephanie agreed. “Painting makes Josie happy, just like dancing and playing makes me happy. We like different things, and I should respect that.”

“There you go!”

“Thanks, Sportacus.”

“You’re welcome!” The hero stood up and put his hands on his hips. “Hey, how would you like to play a little basketball?”

“Yeah!” Stephanie cheered.

 

Robbie stood as still as he could, watching Josie as she worked. She was very focused, but there was delight in her eyes as she moved the brush across the canvas. 

“So you… You really like this… this painting thing?”

Josie glanced up with surprise on her face. “Hm? Oh, yes, I love it!”

“It’s not a very  _ active _ activity,” he replied. 

“Maybe not physically,” she told him. “It’s a nice challenge to the mind, though. That's one of the things I learned at art school.”

“Art scho-- you mean you went to  _ school  _ for it?”

“Well, yeah. I've been painting since I was younger than Stephanie. I always knew it was what I wanted to do, and I wanted to get as good as possible, so I went to school as an art major.”

Robbie scoffed. It seemed silly to go to school for something like art - anyone can slap some paint on a canvas. Then again, not everyone could paint with the amount of detail that Josie did. He digressed.

“It’s really a rare thing to have a job and a hobby all in one.”

“A job?”

She nodded. “I sell my paintings.”

Robbie thought back to the painting she had done of his lair. “But, what about--”

“Some, I give as gifts to the people I like.”

That made Robbie fall silent for a moment. He processed her comment.

_ So _ , he thought,  _ she gives her paintings as gifts to people she likes. _

_ She gave  _ me  _ a painting. _

_ She… likes me? _

Robbie shook his head. That was impossible; no one in the entirety of LazyTown “liked” him - at least, not really. He had always assumed they were nice to him out of obligation or even pity. 

“So… Why did you give one to  _ me _ then?”

“Why not?” she challenged. 

“I asked you first!”

Josie groaned. “Oh, fine.”

She set her brushes on the easel, wiping her hands on her apron before walking over to where Robbie stood. Leaning on the tree, she folded her arms.

“For someone who brags as much as you do, it’s a little surprising for you to ask that.”

“Well, if you're talking about my extraordinary talents or ridiculously good looks, I simply can't deny facts.” Robbie grinned wickedly. 

Josie laughed. “See? That right there is a reason. You're really funny.”

“I am?” he asked before clearing his throat. “O-of course I am.”

“And you  _ are _ pretty talented. Especially when it comes to being creative with your disguises. This, for instance, would have fooled anyone else.”

“Finally, someone recognizes my art!”

She giggled again. “And…”

When she trailed off, Robbie raised his eyebrows. “And…?”

“And my sister was right. You are a big softie.”

He gasped. “Don't be insulting!”

“I'm serious.”

“I've been nothing but-- well,  _ rotten  _ to you since you got here!”

Josie reached out and touched his shoulder, making him flinch away a bit. “I don't think you're a bad guy, Robbie. You're a little grumpy and you may like to cause trouble, but I don’t think you don't mean any harm. You’re actually nice - in a villain-y kind of way.”

He stared at her for a long while. Nobody had ever said such kind things to him. He wondered for a moment if it was something in the Meanswell blood that made them so nice. Maybe Josie was right - and maybe she wasn't. Either way, he struggled to keep his normal disposition. 

“W-well I, uh, I’m, um…” 

“Like I said, it’s my job to look at all the little details.”

After a brief pause, Robbie finally spoke. “Well, are you done with that painting? My arms are getting tired!”

Josie smiled warmly. It may not have been obvious, but it was clear to her that what she had said struck a chord with him. That, she decided, was all that mattered. 

“Almost!”

“Well, hurry along. I have other things to do,” he griped. 

She skipped back over to her canvas and continued her work.

A few minutes later, a bright pink ball came bouncing into her side of the park. Trailing behind it was Stephanie. She seemed to be in much better spirits. 

Robbie gasped, closing his eyes and trying to be as still as possible so that “the pink girl” wouldn't see him.

“Hey, kiddo!” 

“Hey, sis,” Stephanie exclaimed. “How's the painting coming?”

“Pretty well. I'm just about finished.” 

Stephanie stood next to her. “Hey, how would you feel about a trade?”

Josie smiled. “I'm listening.”

“I'll model for one of your pieces, and you can learn one of my dances! That way we both get to have fun.”

“That’s a great idea! But let’s get some dinner first.” Josie chuckled, brushing her hands off on her apron. Her painting was finished. 

“What are you gonna do with that one?”

Bringing a hand to her chin, Josie thought for a moment before grabbing the canvas from the easel. She walked over to the real tree and propped her painting up against it. 

“There we go!”

“You’re just gonna leave it?”

Josie grinned. “Of course not. I'm giving it to the tree.” She glanced back at Robbie, who was peeking at her through squinted eyes. “I think he’ll like it.” 

Stephanie shrugged. “Okay! Let’s go!”

 

When they were finally out of sight, Robbie dropped his arms with a huff. He crouched down next to the tree and looked at the painting. 

The real tree was, of course, perfect. The intricacies of its leaves were so perfectly depicted. The other tree - which was him - was also very good. Somehow, she had put his face on it, but managed to make it look like part of the bark. 

It wasn't until he looked at the skyline that he noticed that one of the little white clouds she had painted was shaped like a heart.

He furrowed his brow before smiling with a sigh. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could I interest anyone in some feelings?

“Okay, are you ready?” Josie asked her sister excitedly.

“I sure am! Is it done?”

“Yep,” she said with a wink. “Come on over and see.”

Stephanie hopped off of the kitchen stool and scurried to the other side of the canvas. She observed her sister’s latest work: it was a portrait of Stephanie. It was only a sketch, but Stephanie was amazed at the likeness and detail. 

“Josie, it’s beautiful!” she cheered. 

Josie shrugged. “I had a beautiful subject.”

The two shared a hug. 

“Besides, it's the least I can do after you taught me that dance - that was a lot of fun. I mean, it was tiring, but fun!”

“My pleasure,” Stephanie replied. “So, what do you have planned for tomorrow?”

Her sister chuckled. “More of my boring art, I’m afraid. I may take your friend Sporta… t-the Sport guy…”

“Sportacus!”

“Yes! I might take him up on his offer to let me paint his big balloon house.”

“That’s cool,” Stephanie said. “Well, it’s almost 8:08, so I’d better get ready for bed!”

Josie nodded, smiling softly as she took care of her materials. The younger Meanswell stopped at the door and turned.

“Josie? Do you like it here?”

She paused. It was still a little early for her to tell whether she enjoyed the town or not. But, the people were friendly. The scenery was beautiful. The local hero lived in a fantastical airship, and the local villain was… Well, he was really something. 

“I love it here.”

 

Adjusting her sunglasses, Josie found that she still had to squint as her eyes followed the letter-tube up into the clouds. She leaned against the mailbox and eyed the tube curiously as it disappeared from sight.  _ How does it even get to him?  _ she wondered silently.  _ Where does it go? How does he get down? _

If there was one thing she had learned from her few days in LazyTown, it was that the town was full of curiosities. Of course, she didn’t mind that at all. It added to the charm of the place. 

She heard a soft whirring sound behind her, growing louder and louder, and turned to see a large metal craft flying towards her. 

 

Behind the nearby wall, a set of mechanical eyes popped up and peered at the startled artist.

 

Panic fluttered in her chest before she noticed the insignia on the front: the number 10. It stopped a few feet away from her, and the cloud-dwelling hero leapt out onto the sidewalk. 

“Hello, Josie!”

Josie gave him a pleasant smile. “Hi there, Sportacos.”

He blinked. “That’s  Sporta _ -cus. _ ”

“Right. I'm sorry, I’m terrible with names.”

“That’s alright,” Sportacus responded. “So, you’d like to paint the airship?”

“I would love to,” she said. “I’m not sure how I should go about it, though…”

“Well, if you want, I could bring it a bit closer to the ground.”

“That could work,” Josie agreed. Another idea struck her as she eyed the zepplin. “I’m sure you have a great view from up there. I bet I could paint all of LazyTown...”

Sportacus paused. Normally, one would need a ticket to go up to the airship. But, he decided Josie was nice enough and would not cause any trouble up there.

“Sure! Let’s go!”

 

Robbie growled, watching Josie fly away with Sportacus. He had been growing more irritated by the moment. Simultaneously, he had been growing more confused as to why he was angry. 

Honestly, he always got a little annoyed when he saw "that blue jumping bean." But there was something about seeing him around Josie that left him seething. The trouble was: he had no clue why.

“It’s not like I care,” he announced to his empty lair. “He’s probably going to take her up here and bore her to tears with talk of  _ sportscandy _ and  _ exercise _ .”

 

“You sure do move around a lot,” Josie commented from her cross-legged position on the floor. 

Sportacus spun around. “Yes I do! I like being energized and on the move.”

“Do you ever… I don’t know, relax?”

“I’ve tried to in the past,” he said. “The kids tried to make me take a vacation once. I didn’t enjoy it very much.”

Josie nodded, glancing out at the skyline as she sketched. “My mind is always moving. That’s why I like creating so much - it gives my thoughts a place to manifest.”

“That’s very interesting!” Sportacus exclaimed as he stood behind her. 

“Do you mind people who prefer being stationary?”

“As long as they don’t mind me being not-so-stationary!”

She paused, turning to look at him. “What about Robbie?”

He crossed his arms, shaking his head amusedly. “Robbie Rotten… I don’t mind him at all. He’s very funny and he works very hard to be lazy - which doesn’t make sense, if you think about it.”

“That’s true,” Josie said. 

He eyed her. “What do you think of Robbie?”

Josie paused. How did she actually feel about him? She thought of what she had said to him the previous day. A shy smile appeared on her face that she tried to hide as she looked away. “Oh, I don’t know. I think he tries to be villainous, but deep down he’s a sweetheart.”

It was evident in the blush on her face that she liked Robbie, and Sportacus grinned. It was actually really cute.

“On another subject,” Josie suddenly said. “What’s with you and sportscandy?”

 

The sound of laughter woke Robbie from his grumpy slumber. He jolted out of his chair, nearly tumbling to the floor as he scurried over to the periscope. Through it, he could see Sportacus helping Josie back down to the sidewalk. It sounded like he was wrapping up a story.

 

“I was a mess,” Sportacus chuckled. “That was the first and last time I tried honey.”

“That’s hilarious.” Josie adjusted her grip on her sketchbook, looking up at him. “Well, thanks again for letting me up there.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, giving her a cheerful smile. At that moment, his crystal began to glow. “Someone’s in trouble. I gotta go!”

The artist nodded. “Yeah, take care!”

As Sportacus bounced over the wall, Josie smiled. The hero was hyperactive, but very genuine. She wondered who it was that he was saving this time. With a shrug, she began walking to find her sister. 

 

Sportacus had a good idea of where his crystal was taking him, but he did not understand why. He found himself at the billboard. Was Robbie in trouble down in his lair? Without another thought, he threw open the hatch and jumped into the pipe.

When he landed (on his feet, of course) he quickly looked around to find Robbie. Oddly enough, he was sitting on the floor of his disguise platform with his feet through the rail. He didn’t seem to be in danger. His head rested on his arms as they sat folded on the steel rail. The way his long legs dangled over the side made him look like a ragdoll - a rather depressed ragdoll, in fact. 

Robbie glanced up, and the faraway look in his eyes was replaced by anger. 

“What are you doing here, Sporta _loon_?” he hissed.

“My crystal alerted me that someone was in trouble. I just followed it here.”

Robbie scoffed, slipping through the bars and standing up. “Well, I’m not in trouble, so you can just flippy-flippity-flip your way out of here.”

Sportacus stared at him, his eyebrows knitting together. Robbie’s voice was uneven - like he was saying one thing but thinking another. He sounded… sad. He had seen Robbie angry and upset, but never truly sad - as he seemed to be at the moment.

“Are you sure you’re not in trouble?”

Approaching the hero, Robbie gritted his teeth. “You’re going to be the one in trouble if you don’t leave me alone.”

Sportacus felt mildly intimidated by Robbie’s height and the fire behind his eyes, but still stood firm. “I just want to help you, Robbie.”

“Oh really? It seems to me that you only want to help yourself,” he spat.

“What are you talking about?” he asked with confusion in his voice.

Robbie rolled his eyes and stepped away. “ _ Obviously _ , I’m talking about your new little friend.”

“You mean Josie?”

“ _ You mean Josie? _ ” Robbie mocked in a squeaky voice. “No, I mean the  _ other _ girl you decided to charm with your airship and your muscles and your--” He waved his hands and made a series strange noises, signifying what Sportacus believed to be his acrobatics. 

“I don’t thi--”

“Come on, Sportaflop. You’ve been doing this since you got here: making everyone so active and happy, and making everyone like you. And now, you’ve even gotten Josie to.” Robbie’s shoulders slumped as the angry, jealous energy that held them up deflated like a balloon, leaving him feeling hollow. He crossed his arms and sat down. “Now all she’ll want to do is jump around with you and eat sportscandy like the rest of them… and I’ll be alone down here.”

_ Ah _ , Sportacus thought,  _ so THAT is what this is all about. _

Sportacus looked at him softly. “Robbie… I think you’ve got it all wrong. Josie… She’s a very nice girl, but I don’t _‘_ _ like’ _ her. I don’t think she likes me either.”

The villain looked at him doubtfully.

“I don’t think she  _ dis _ likes me. I’m sure she considers us friends. But I think my personality and constant activity is a little too much for her. She likes things to be calm, like her… like you!”

Robbie let out a heavy sigh. He hadn’t planned to have a heart-to-heart with the hero of LazyTown, but here he was. Part of him wanted to believe what Sportacus was saying. The other part of him was already contemplating new ways to get him out of town. 

“I am sure of one thing,” Sportacus said after a moment. 

Looking up, there a glint of interest in Robbie’s eyes. 

Sportacus leaned in with a smirk. “I know that she likes you very much.”

He blinked. “S-she does? How… How do you know? You’re not pulling my leg, are you?”

“I would never do that to you,” the hero assured him. “When she was in my airship, she mentioned you. When I asked how she felt about you, she got very shy and started smiling a lot.”

The villain’s heart began beating rapidly as hope and excitement began to fill it. Was it possible that what he was saying was true? Could someone actually like him -- and like him  _ more _ than Sportacus?

“Well, I - I, um,” Robbie began stammering. 

Just then, there was a metallic clang above him. He looked up just in time to see a box come tumbling down the pipe. It landed in his lap. Bewildered, he looked at the tag to see who it was from.

 

_ To: Robbie; From: Josie _

_ Don’t let your fears decide your fate. _

 

Sportacus grinned as he opened it. It was the sketch Josie had done earlier in his airship: a bird’s-eye view of the town. “See? Josie knows that you are afraid of heights, and sent that so you would be able to see the town in a way you normally would not.”

“Y-you were right,” he gasped. “She… she likes me, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, I think she does.”

Robbie stood up and wrung his hands. “So, um… About earlier…”

“It’s okay, Robbie, I forgive you.”

“Thh… Thhha…” He tried to get the words out, but it was incredibly difficult.

The hero chuckled. “You’re welcome!”

With a few quick moves, Sportacus made his way back to the surface. 


	6. Chapter 6

As Robbie sat, curled up in his chair, buzzing with happiness and clutching his sketch, Stephanie’s pink basketball fell through the hoop in the park. She retrieved it, passing it to her sister, who passed it to Trixie. 

As Trixie walked up to perform a free throw, the sound of hers and Stephanie’s voices grew fainter and fainter. Josie’s mind slowly went out of focus as she thought about it again. 

The question Sportacus had asked her earlier kept ringing in her head.  _ How do you feel about Robbie? _

It gave her a cloudy feeling - like she was floating in a fog. It was dizzying. It was confusing. Yet, simultaneously, it was cozy and gentle.

Whatever it was that she felt about him, it boiled down to the simple fact that it made her happy.  _ He _ made her happy. He may be grouchy and lethargic, but he was cute. Now that she thought about it, he was really cu--

The pink basketball hit Josie in the stomach and knocked the wind out of her. She shook her head, laughing it off breathlessly as she passed it to Stephanie.

“You okay, Purple?” Trixie asked. “I didn’t mean to throw it that hard...”

“I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention.” Her eyes drew out of focus again.

Stephanie gave her sister an odd look. “Are you sure you’re alright, Josie?”

The older Meanswell smiled. “I’m good. I just have a lot on my mind; I keep getting distracted.”

“Do you wanna... like, talk about it?” Trixie asked.

“I…” Josie began. “I don’t know.”

Stephanie stopped bouncing the ball and grabbed her hand, pulling her over to a nearby bench.

Trixie followed them. “You know, Sportacus always says it’s better to let things out than keep them all bottled up.”

“And he’s right,” Josie replied, and then sighed dreamily. “Have you ever met someone, and after you met them, you couldn’t stop thinking about them? A-and you just want to be around them as much as possible, and you don’t know why but you feel so happy when you’re with them?”

Stephanie and Trixie glanced at one another. 

“Sounds to me like you like somebody,” Trixie stated. “Like, you  _ really _ like them.”

“I… Gosh, I do, don’t I? I haven’t spent much time with him but I just enjoy his company so much.” Her smile faded into a concerned look. “I don’t know if he feels the same way, though.”

“Why don’t you ask him?” Stephanie suggested. “I’m sure Sportacus is around here somewhere.”

Josie paused. “What? Why would--?” She shook her head, realizing her sister’s mistake. “No, no, no. I wasn’t talking about him.”

The girls looked at each other, then back at her, puzzlement clear on their faces. 

“Then, who  _ were  _ you talking about?” Stephanie asked cautiously.

A crimson blush covered Josie’s face as she muttered “I was talking about Robbie.”

“Robbie?!” Trixie exclaimed.

The Meanswell sisters quickly shushed her. 

Trixie apologized. “But, like… why  _ Robbie _ ?”

“I… I honestly don’t know. He’s funny and creative and I just like being near him.” 

“But he’s also mean and lazy.”

“He doesn’t mean any harm, really,” Josie explained earnestly. “Besides, he’s… he’s cute when he naps.”

Stephanie put a reassuring hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Josie, I trust your judgement. If you like him, I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. We like who we like.”

“Thanks, sis,” she replied, smiling sweetly.

“Maybe Robbie can be your special friend!” Stephanie said. 

“Special friend?” Josie asked. “What’s that?”

“It’s like this: you have the people you know. Then, you have your friends. Then, you have your best friends. But then, you have your special friend. They’re the person you’re really, really close to.”

“Yeah!” Trixie agreed. “Like a best friend, but even… best-er!”

“I think I’d like that,” Josie sighed. “But I don’t even know if he likes me or not.”

“I’m sure we could find out,” said Trixie, a mischievous look on her face.

“How?” The sisters asked in unison.

The prankster grinned. “I think we can come up with something. How are your acting skills?”

 

The next day, Robbie rolled off of his fuzzy orange chair and onto the concrete floor of his lair. Grunting and grumbling, he made his way up to stand. He gave the clock a quick glance, then did a double-take. 

It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and somehow he had not seen or heard from Josie. Normally, he would be overjoyed to sleep in undisturbed. But today, he wished for her company. He wanted to talk to her about everything - or at least try, to the best of his abilities.  

He marched over to his periscope as his mind raced.  _ What if she doesn’t actually like me? What if I was just imagining things? What if that blue kangaroo was just kidding around?  _ He peered through the eyepiece. Josie wasn't in the park. She wasn't in the grove. She wasn't at the beach. 

“Where could she  _ be _ ?!” he cried. 

When the periscope landed on the mayor’s house, he gasped. Stephanie was (rather dramatically) opening the window to let a little fresh air into Josie’s perfectly purple bedroom, and he could see her lying in her bed. Her violet hair was a little messy. She appeared to be sleeping. And on her bedside table was an assortment of medicine.

Was Josie…  _ sick?  _ Alarm set in. 

“What could she be sick with? Nobody gets sick in LazyTown!”

He wrung his hands, contemplating what to do. 

“I know,” he exclaimed, holding up his index finger. “I could bring her some cake! Cake always makes  _ me  _ feel better!”

He scurried to his machines.

 

“How am I doing?” Josie whispered from behind her sheets.

Stephanie grinned, turning her gaze from the window. “Looking good. And now, he’s bound to see you through the window.”

“Remind me to thank Trixie. This was a great idea.”

There was a knock at the door, and Josie played dead again. Stephanie opened the door to reveal Mayor Meanswell and quickly moved into the hall with him.

“Hello, Stephanie! How is she feeling?”

“Still not good,” the girl replied in a hushed tone. “She's asleep right now.”

“Poor thing. Probably traveling sickness. I remember once when I took a trip…”

 

A little while later, Sportacus’s feet hit the ground and he glanced around the park. Stephanie’s letter had said to keep an eye out for Robbie Rotten, and to let her know when he was topside. He planned to do exactly that.

After a few minutes, he spotted Robbie marching down the street. In his hands was a giant slice of cake - one so big, it blocked his vision entirely. Sportacus’s crystal began to glow, and he knew exactly where to go. 

At that moment, one of Robbie’s feet caught on the other. The cake went flying into the air and the villain began to tumble to the ground. He did not reach it, though, as Sportacus grabbed his hand and helped him back upright. The cake spattered onto the ground and Robbie squealed.

“No! Not the cake! No, no, no, no, no!”

Sportacus stared at the wailing man. “Robbie, what’s wrong? it’s just a piece of cake.”

Robbie halted his antics to growl at him. “No, it’s not  _ just  _ a piece of cake! I was bringing that t-to Josie… to make her feel better… and now it’s  _ ruined _ !” 

“A cake?” the hero asked. “I don’t know if that would make her feel better...”

Robbie opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. “It won't?”

“No! She needs medicine, sportscandy, water, and a lot of care from her friends.”

The villain grimaced. “Sportscandy? Water? I'm not touching that with a ten-foot pole. She already has medicine, and that little pink girl to take care of her!”

Sighing, Sportacus put a hand on Robbie’s shoulder as he pouted. “A visit from her favorite person wouldn't hurt. It might make her feel better!”

“You're right,” Robbie replied sourly. “Why don't you head on over and pay her a visit, then? I'm going home.”

“I didn't mean me, Robbie.”

He scoffed, and then froze. “Wha-- me?”

Sportacus nodded, smiling. “We talked about this. Josie is my friend, but she likes you.”

“She does?” Robbie asked cautiously.

“I'm sure!”

“T-then I have to go over there!” he said hurriedly. “Uh, but I don't have anything to bring.”

Chuckling, Sportacus shook his head. “It’s the thought that really counts.”

The hero then bounced out of sight, leaving Robbie alone in the park - surrounded by bits of cake.

“The thought that counts…” he mumbled thoughtfully. 

 

Sportacus knelt behind a tree and called Stephanie. He grinned when her face appeared on his screen.

“Hi Sportacus! Any updates?”

He nodded. “I just saw Robbie walking through the park. It may take him a minute, but he’s on his way.”

“Perfect,” she exclaimed. “I’ll tell Josie and Trixie.”

 

There was a knock on Josie’s door. When Josie answered a weak “come in”, the door opened slowly. Stephanie poked her head in.

“Josie? You have a visitor.”

The purple-haired girl rolled over, rubbing her eyes theatrically. “Hmm?”

Stephanie pulled the door open all the way to reveal a skittish-looking Robbie with his hands nervously behind his back.

“Robbie?” Josie sat up a bit.

With a little prompting from Stephanie, Robbie stumbled into the purple room, and she closed the door behind him.

“Ahem. Um. Hi there!”

“Hi,” she replied.

“S-so you're… you’re feeling… not so good today, huh?”

Josie shook her head. “Afraid not. Though, I am happy to see you.”

Robbie smiled a bit. She was  _ happy  _ to see him.  _ Wait until she sees… _

“I brought you, uh,” he stammered. “I brought…”

Finally, he rolled his eyes and pulled his hands from behind his back, revealing a little purple teddy bear. The bear was the color of her hair, but clothed in a miniature version of Robbie’s striped suit. Josie’s eyes lit up like the Fourth of July.

“That’s adorable, Robbie,” she giggled, and then coughed a bit. “Thank you!”

“You're welcome,” he replied. “Well, I guess I'll be leaving now!”

Josie propped herself up on her elbow. “You just got here!”

He stopped, his hand on the doorknob.

“Would you… would you mind staying here? I could use the company.”

Turning, Robbie could see the pretty little glimmer of hope in her brown eyes.

“Even if you just nap!”

He smirked. “Now you're speaking my language!”

Josie grinned, motioning to the velvet purple chair next to her bed. He strode over and plopped down, trying to cover his delight with calm, coolness.

“You're not going to get me sick, are you?”

She shrugged. “I hope not. But, if I do, I'll come visit you, too!”

“You better.”

Nestling back into bed, Josie set the Robbie-bear next to her pillow. She glanced at the villain, noticing the happy glow on his face.

“Hey, Robbie?”

“Hmm?”

Josie reached out, entwining her fingers in Robbie’s and ignoring the surprise in his eyes.

“Thank you for coming to see me.”

Robbie paused, trying to make his way through the fog of puzzlement that clouded his mind. Finally, he exhaled, and his face softened. He gave her dainty hand a squeeze. 

“You're welcome, Josie.”


End file.
